If he goes does than mean Jordy Nelson as the #1 WR,James Jones #2 and Cobb #3?

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And the speed guy we take in the first two rounds. Driver will be gone too, so at the least we'll need to add some quality depth. We could also use a burner deep threat without Jennings (who is hardly a burner but has the knack for getting separation deep).

I don't think we can afford to keep him (considering what he's likely asking for, his age, and concussion history) and have been expressing that opinion for the last year. But to jump on the "dump Jennings" bandwagon because the guy is playing hurt is bad form.

The discussion of a trade is pointless. This thread was started after the season started. NFL trades are uncommon to start with, rarer still after the season starts, even rarer for a contender's front line player mid-season, and rarer even still for a guy who will be a free agent at the end of the year. It would have to be a one-of-a-kind moment even if he were 100%.

Considering that we have Nelson, JJ, Cobb and the decent few on the practice squad.......don't know if he would pony-up for a high profile WR in the draft. WR's are the premadonnas and cost tons of cash....well so do good OL men and thats what we need, so you never know.

Doubt TT will pick up a round 1 or 2 WR in the draft due to the cost. I think we have some depth in the practice squad.

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First round picks are cheap salary-wise nowadays compared to the alternatives, assuming we're not picking in the top 10. That guy would making less per year over 4 years than James Jones is making this year.

For example, the #11 pick in this year's draft, Dontarie Poe, signed for about $2.8 mil per year over 4 years. His annual pay is less than James Jones is getting under his 3 year deal.

The rookie salary structure under the new CBA radically changed the equation in the youth/experience balance.

Donald Driver, pick #213 in the 1999 Draft.
I remember watching this energetic little skinny-legged guy make plays time & time again in that preseason. Usually guys like that still get cut, but this gem made it.

Donald Driver, pick #213 in the 1999 Draft.
I remember watching this energetic little skinny-legged guy make plays time & time again in that preseason. Usually guys like that still get cut, but this gem made it.

Still, with a salary minimum some players are going to get drastically overpaid.

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If the groin injury doesn't come around somewhat quickly, it will create serious question marks in free agent market. Regardless, some teams might look at concussion, concussion again, and the groin injury over what amounts to less than 1/2 season and bow out of the auction.

If the groin injury doesn't come around somewhat quickly, it will create serious question marks in free agent market. Regardless, some teams might look at concussion, concussion again, and the groin injury over what amounts to less than 1/2 season and bow out of the auction.

What I mean is teams have a certain amount of money they must spend like the counter to the salary cap is the salary floor. Teams that traditional spent little will now have to spend more $.

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Got it.

As an FYI, the floor is measured in cash paid, not cap space. For example, if the cap is, say, $125 mil in 2013, the cash minimum would be about $111 mil (89% of the cap). This should make for interesting scenarios with respect to signing bonuses (past and future) which are paid out in cash in the first year of the contract but prorated over the term of the contract for cap purposes.

I think net-net, the long term result will be lower signing bonuses (and more guaranteed first year salary to make up the difference from the players perspective) to keep cash and cap in relatively close alignment. I say that because this cash minimum makes dead cap money a bigger issue. If you cut a guy, any remaining unprorated cap money hits the cap in that year, which was never a good thing but looks worse under this new agreement.

To take an extreme example, Drew Brees just signed a 5 year deal with a $37 mil signing bonus. If he broke his neck or wrecked his arm this year and NO wanted to release him before next season to avoid paying his $10 mil 2013 salary, that would be about a $30 mil hit (4/5 of the signing bonus) against the cap in 2013. That would have been a very big problem is past years, but now there's also the minimum cash payout to contend with. It is conceivable they would have to take some extreme measures (beyond cutting Brees) to make the $111 mil cash minimum while staying under the $125 mil cap, what with the $30 mil cap hit with no associated 2013 cash component to go with it.

If Jennings doesn’t get healthy he may have to settle for a short-term deal with the Packers, if the Packers can afford it cap-wise. But he would probably demand more than Finley did last year for his two-year deal and in that case I doubt that happens. It only takes one of the other 31 teams to lust after Jennings UFA.

Regarding the next draft, I haven’t done a study of every round in relation to positions picked by Thompson (and I won’t) but IMO the surest bet going into a Thompson draft is that he’ll pick a WR in the second round. In the eight Packers drafts he’s conducted, he’s taken a WR in the second round 4 times. And in the third round he’s selected one WR and one pass-catching TE (Murphy, Jennings, Jones-3rd round, Nelson, Finley-3rd, Cobb). The top of two of Thompson’s drafts were concentrated on defense – the most recent and the 2009 draft (Raji and Clay and the next pick occurring in the 4th round – who turned out to be the starting LG!). After this years’ draft was almost entirely devoted to D, I think a repeat of that is extremely unlikely. So another way to look at this is: Except for drafts in which the first two or more rounds are devoted to D, Thompson has selected a WR in the second round 4 of 6 times. Of course it depends upon how the Packers evaluate who is available. IMO one thing we can be certain of is Thompson isn’t going to reach for a WR. But he certainly isn’t shy about trading up or down to target a player.

All these injury/performance struggles of the past year and a half with Greg Jennings works in the Packers advantage. I can see him coming back now on a cheaper deal. Now the question is.. Do the Packers want to bring him back on a cheaper deal?

All these injury/performance struggles of the past year and a half with Greg Jennings works in the Packers advantage. I can see him coming back now on a cheaper deal. Now the question is.. Do the Packers want to bring him back on a cheaper deal?